Campsite assessments are part of the City’s Impact Reduction Program (IRP), which helps reduce the effects of homelessness as other organizations work to provide housing and shelter. When a campsite is reported, an assessment team will check its health and safety, while sharing information with campers about additional resources, such as City’s Outreach Team, 311, and 211. The IRP uses the assessment report to determine which camps to prioritize for removal.

This risk assessment process allows the City to respond to campsites posing the highest risk to the community quickly and maintain public cleanliness and safety. Staff look for things like trash, blocked public areas, materials related to drug use, and environmental impact. By tracking the number of assessments, the City can better understand and address homelessness needs in the community.

The number of assessments has increased since the process began in 2018. This growth reflects both the rise in the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Portland, as well as the improved efficiency of a more integrated online system, which enables Portland residents to report campsites and allows the City to dispatch crews more effectively in response.

The number of assessment teams has grown from just three in 2018 to fourteen teams currently. This expanded capacity allows for more assessments to take place and more efficiently than when the program first began this work.

The Impact Reduction Program’s automated tracking system provides the data, a campsite is counted when it is evaluated for removal. The number of assessments reflects the total number of assessments conducted in a year.

Some sites may be assessed multiple times. If a resident reports a campsite location that has already been assessed, the site may be reassessed if the previous check was conducted more than five days ago.

For more information about the campsite assessment process.

For more information on referral resources provided to the homeless.

For more information about the number of campsites that are removed by the City:   CAMPSITE REMOVALS: Number of campsites removed by the Impact Reduction Program

To report unsanctioned camping and or campsite-related trash here is more information from the City’s Impact Reduction Program.